Crisis Balochistan | March 2, 2012 | Letter

From a working mother, Quetta, Balochistan

Date: 21st Feb 2012

To: The Honorable Chief Justice
Supreme Court of Pakistan

Subject: Primary School Children living on a Time Bomb on Arbab Karam Khan Road Quetta, Balochistan.

Honorable Chief Justice,

I am a single working mother of two children and would like to bring to your honor's attention the dangerous situation on Arbab Karam Khan Road Quetta, Balochistan, as under:

1. On 30th December 2011 a powerful car bomb exploded near the residence of Shafiq Mengal, son of former acting Chief Minister and Federal Minister Naseer Mengal, on Arbab Karam Khan Road Quetta. The blast rocked all of Quetta and was heard miles away. Several houses and cars parked nearby caught fire and were completely destroyed. Windows of hundreds of houses and shops on Arbab Karam Khan Road, Saryab Road and surrounding areas were smashed due to the impact of the blast. The explosion was followed by intense firing by guards of Shafiq Mengal that created panic amongst the people and resulted in further casualties.

2. The primary school (Oxford Public Grammar School) hosting more than six hundred school children (aged 3-14) situated adjacent to the residence of Shafiq Mengal was partially destroyed during the blast. Luckily when the car blast took place the school was closed for winter vacation and there were no casualties.

3. Since the blast has happened the area has been completely occupied by heavily armed personal militia of Shafiq Mengal. The school premises along with Arbab Karam Khan Road has been completely under siege of armed guards with heavy machine guns, hand grenades and rocket propelled launchers. Barricades and armed guards with heavy machines guns are placed outside the primary school gates and on the main Arbab Karam Khan Road. Despite the issue being in the knowledge of local administration no action has been taken to move Shafiq Mengal from the area and make safe the lives of hundreds of young school children whose lives have been put in jeopardy by actions and presence of one Shafiq Mengal.

4. The important question to consider here is if one person i.e. Shafiq Mengal is under such great security danger and have already witnessed a car bomb attack on his residence than why is he still residing in the vicinity while jeopardizing not only the entire neighborhood but most importantly putting in to great danger the lives and future of young school children as well. If common sense and rule of law would have prevailed, he along with his heavily armed militia would have been evacuated from the residential neighborhood long before, rather than bringing it under his siege and putting the lives of everyone including young school children in great risk. The psychological and traumatic affect due to the presence of such private militia on young school children is colossal which is also a violation of their human rights.

5. I being a single working mother of two children aged 5 and 7, also studying in the same primary school, request the Honorable Chief Justice to take Suo Moto notice of the issue and on extremely critical basis instruct the concerned authorities to evacuate Shafiq Mengal and his armed militia from the residential vicinity whose notorious presence and actions has become a grave danger not just to the residents of Arbab Karam Khan Road Quetta but most importantly to more than six hundred school children.

6. In case no serious action is taken, and any unhappy incident happens in the future, the blood of the lost lives of school children and the general public will be on all concerns hands who failed to take any action on this terrified single working mother's plea.

Sincerely,

An extremely terrified Working Mother

Quetta, Balochistan

Pakistan

Copy to:
1. All Honorable Judges of Supreme Court of Pakistan
2. Honorable Chief Justice High Court of Balochistan
3. All Honorable Judges of High Court of Balochistan
4. Madam Asma Jahangir President Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan
5. Human Right Commission of Pakistan
6. Amnesty International
7. Electronic and Print Media of Pakistan